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Give thanks for the journey

Pastor with ALS reveals meaning of community

Hand in hand, Douglas Langholz and the congregation he serves are on a journey together. Langholz has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis--Lou Gehrig's disease. Members of Magnolia Lutheran Church, Seattle, want him to remain as their pastor. To prove it, they spent more than $100,000 to make their facilities accessible to people with disabilities.

Much has been written about ALS, which robs victims of life after two to five years of increasing paralysis caused by dying nerve cells and muscles. But this is a tale of how the members and pastor of Magnolia are learning about death with dignity and community in the face of the inevitable. Each is growing by trusting the other, sharing ministry and leaning on one another.